Selector in switching matrix, line redundant method, and line redundant system

ABSTRACT

A switching matrix includes a first line control section configured to control a first input port using a first determination function of a first SONET framer, to forward a first data signal to a switching fabric when the first data signal is being received normally and to cut-off forwarding of the first data signal to the switching fabric when the first data signal is being received abnormally. The switching matrix also includes a second line control section configured to control a second input port using a second determination function of a second SONET framer, to forward a second data signal to the switching fabric when the first data signal is being received abnormally and to cut-off forwarding of the second data signal to the switching fabric when the first data signal is being received normally, where the second line control section is different from the first line control section.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a selector, line redundant method, and line redundant system which realize line switching in a switching matrix to recover from line troubles and the like and, more particularly, to a line redundant scheme which has a simple hardware arrangement and allows line switching on a port basis.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Recently, demands have arisen for an improvement in the reliability of an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) switching network with respect to line troubles. As a line redundant scheme in a case wherein ATM switching is realized on a SONET (Synchronous Optical Network) or SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) network, an APS (Automatic Protection Switching) scheme is available, in which when a failure occurs in a Working route (Working Connection), the route is automatically switched to a protection route (Protection Connection) to continue the communication. As standards for this scheme, Bellcore (Bell Communications Research) standards, ANSI (American National Standards Institute) T1.105.01-1998, ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector) G.783, and the like are defined.

There are two types of switching control schemes in APS, namely a physical layer scheme using K1/K2 bytes on a SONET framer as control information for the opposite side and an ATM layer scheme using an OAM (Operation Administration and Maintenance) cell called an APS cell as control information for the opposite side.

The physical layer scheme includes two types of schemes, namely a (1+1) scheme and (1:1) scheme. In this case, in the (1+1) scheme, on the transmission side, a data signal is copied, and the identical data signals are simultaneously sent out to the two connections, i.e., the working route and protection route. On the reception side, the data signal is normally received through the working route. When a trouble occurs on the working route, only the connection on the reception side is switched from the working route to the protection route, thereby continuing the communication of a main data signal.

In the (1:1) scheme, on the transmission side, a main data signal and sub-data signal are respectively received through the working route and protection route. On the reception side, data signals from the two routes are normally received through the respective routes. When a trouble occurs on the working route, the connection is switched from the working route to the protection route on both the sides, i.e., the transmission side and reception side, thereby continuing the communication of the main data signal.

Of the above two types of physical layer schemes, the (1+1) scheme to which the present invention is applied requires a bridge function of distributing a data signal sent to the working route on the transmission side to the protection route as well, a selector function of cutting off a data signal, of data signals input to a switch on the reception side, which is sent from the protection route, and a function of performing line switching control on a port on the opposite side by using K1/K2 bytes on a SONET frame.

For example, a conventional arrangement for a line redundant system for realizing APS is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (KOKAI) No. 9-275405. In an embodiment in this reference, the arrangement of a dual redundant system in an ATM switch is described. A selector (input cutoff circuit) and bridge (output-side distribution circuit) exist on a common switching fabric.

The operation of this conventional system will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the overall arrangement of the system in a case wherein terminals 1 and 4 communicate with each other. The terminals 1 and 4 communicate with each other through ATM switching matrixes 2 and 3. Dual transmission paths are set between the ATM switching matrixes 2 and 3 by APS based on the (1+1) scheme. Dotted lines 16 indicate the flows of data signals sent out from the terminal 1 to the terminal 4. Note that in FIG. 1, an illustration of the flows of data signals from the terminal 4 to the terminal 1 is omitted.

FIG. 2 shows the detailed arrangements of a common switching fabric 13 a, 0-system line accommodating section 30 a-0, and 1-system line accommodating section 40 a-1 of the ATM switching matrix 2 shown in FIG. 1. Note that FIG. 2 also shows the arrangement of a portion which receives data signals to be sent from the terminal 4 to the terminal 1.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the detailed arrangement of the ATM switching matrix 3 in APS operation. In this case, the internal arrangement of the ATM switching matrix 3 is the same as that of the ATM switching matrix 2, and the letter added to the end of the reference numeral of each component is changed from a to b. The 0/1-system line accommodating sections 30 a-0 and 40 a-1 of the ATM switching matrix 2 are respectively connected to 0/1-system line accommodating sections 30 b-0 and 40 b-1 of the ATM switching matrix 3. A selector 19 b in FIG. 3 exhibits a state after APS operation; the selector 19 b selects an output from the 1-system line accommodating section 40 b-1 and cuts off an output from the 0-system line accommodating section 30 b-0.

As is obvious from FIGS. 1 and 2, the data signal transmitted from the terminal 1 is input to the ATM switching matrix 2 through a line accommodating section 12 a and bridged (distributed) to the 0-system line accommodating section 30 a-0 and 1-system line accommodating section 40 a-1 by the common switching fabric 13 a. The resultant signals are then output to a working route 14 and protection route 15, respectively.

As is obvious from FIGS. 1 and 3, the data signal input from the working route 14 to the ATM switching matrix 3 arrives at the terminal 4 through the 0-system line accommodating section 30 b-0, a common switching fabric 13 b, and a line accommodating section 12 b. On the other hand, the data signal input from the protection route 15 to the ATM switching matrix 3 is input to the common switching fabric 13 b through the 1-system line accommodating section 40 b-1, but the output to the line accommodating section 12 b is cut off by the selector (19 b in FIG. 3) in the common switching fabric 13 b.

The detailed arrangement of a conventional APS scheme will be described with reference to FIG. 2. Assume that a general technique is used as a switching control function using K1/K2 bytes. A description about the detection of a trouble in the working route and the exchange of control information with opposite ports by using K1/K2 bytes after the detection will therefore be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 2, the ATM switching matrix 2 is constituted by the common switching fabric 13 a, the 0-system line accommodating section 30 a-0, the 1-system line accommodating section 40 a-1, and an OS (Operating System) 50 a. The line accommodating sections are comprised of transmission/input interfaces (to be referred to as line IFs hereinafter) 32 a and 33 a (0-system side) and 42 a and 43 a (1-system side), output ports 34 a-1 to 34 a-N (0-system side) and 44 a-1 to 44 a-N (1-system side) for accommodating a plurality of lines (N lines for each line IF in FIG. 2), input ports 35 a-1 to 35 a-N (0-system side) and 45 a-1 to 45 a-N (1-system side), and line control sections 31 a and 41 a which perform APS control, together with the OS 50 a, by using opposite ports and K1/K2 bytes of SONET frames in APS operation.

The output ports 34 a-1 to 34 a-N and 44 a-1 to 44 a-N and input ports 35 a-1 to 35 a-N and 45 a-1 to 45 a-N are constituted by an optical module (not shown), a framer (not shown) for interfacing between a physical layer and an ATM layer, and the like. The respective pairs of 0/1-system transmission/input ports in the 0-system line accommodating section 30 a-0 and 1-system line accommodating section 40 a-1 are connected to switch IFs 17 a-1 to 17 a-n to realize a redundant arrangement.

For example, referring to FIG. 2, each of the pairs of output ports (34 a-1 and 44 a-1), . . . , (34 a-N and 44 a-N) and of input ports (35 a-1 and 45 a-1), . . . , (35 a-N and 45 a-N) has an APS redundant arrangement.

The common switching fabric 13 a is comprised of a switch core 16 a, switch IFs 17 a-1 to 17 a-n, and switch control section 80 a. The switch core 16 a has 2 n interfaces on the transmission/reception side for the switch IFs 17 a-1 to 17 a-n and switches ATM cells from the respective switch IFs. The switch IFs 17 a-1 to 17 a-n connect the interfaces of the common switching fabric 13 a to the 0/1-system line accommodating sections in pairs. The switch control section 80 a controls the dual redundant arrangement in cooperation with the OS 50 a.

A bridge 18 a and selector 19 a are accommodated in the switch IFs 17 a-1 to 17 a-n. The bridge 18 a has a function of simultaneously distributing a data signal from the switch core 16 a to the 0-system line accommodating section 30 a-0 to the 1-system line accommodating section 40 a-1. The selector 19 a has a cutoff function of inhibiting an unselected data signal from being input to the switch core 16 a by selecting one of the 0/1-system line accommodating section pair 30 a-0 and 40 a-1.

As is obvious from the detailed arrangement of the ATM switching matrix 3 in FIG. 3, the following problems arise when a plurality of output ports 34 b-1 to 34 b-N and 44 b-1 to 44 b-N and input ports 35 b-1 to 35 b-N and 45 b-1 to 45 b-N are accommodated on the plurality of line accommodating sections 30 b-0 and 40 b-1 a predetermined number of ports at a time, and a selector 19 b (input cutoff circuit) exists in the switch IF 17 b-1 in the common switching fabric 13 b.

Even when only switching from the input port 35 b-1 in the 0-system line accommodating section 30 b-0 on the working route to the input port 45 b-1 in the 1-system line accommodating section 40 b-1 on the protection route is to be performed, since the selector 19 b exists in the common switching fabric 13 b, switching cannot be done on a input port basis. Hence, switching is done on a line accommodating section basis. As a consequence, the remaining input ports 35 b-2 (not shown) to 35 b-N in normal operation in the 0-system line accommodating section 30 b-0 are also switched to the input orts 45 b-2 (not shown) to 45 b-N in the 1-system line accommodating section 40 b-1. When such switching occurs, cell loss may occur in the input ports 35 b-2 (not shown) to 35 b-N which are normally operated.

In addition, since switching from the working route to the protection route is performed by the selector 19 b, selectors 19 b must be provided for all the switch IFs 17 b-1 to 17 b-nin the common switching fabric 13 b. Consequently, the internal hardware arrangement of the common switching fabric 13 b is complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing circumstances in the prior art, and has for its object to provide a line redundant method which performs line switching based on the (1+1) APS scheme on a port basis by using a selector having a cutoff function of outputting/not outputting one data signal of a plurality of data signals input from a switching matrix, and a line redundant system for implementing the method.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a line redundant method, comprising:

the bridge step of outputting a data signal to a plurality of redundant lines in a switching matrix; and

the selector step of selecting only a data signal, of a plurality of data signals input from another switching matrix other than the switching matrix through the plurality of redundant lines, which is input through a redundant line required in the switching matrix, and not selecting the data signals input to the switching matrix through the lines other than the required redundant line.

In the first aspect, the selector step is implemented by using a framer function for the data signal.

In order to realize the above object, according to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a line redundant system, comprising:

bridge means for simultaneously outputting data signals to a plurality of grouped line accommodating sections connected to a common switching fabric in a switching matrix, and selector means for outputting only a data signal, of data signals input from another switching matrix other than the switching matrix to a plurality of grouped input ports in the line accommodating sections, which is required in the common switching fabric from the input port to the common switching fabric, and cutting off the data signals from other input ports other than the input port.

In the second aspect, the selector means is implemented by using a framer provided for the input port.

With the above arrangement, when line switching is performed by the (1+1) APS scheme, the selector function of cutting off a data signal output from a line accommodating section in the protection route to the common switching fabric can be implemented on a port basis. This eliminates the necessity of switch the remaining input ports during normal operation in the same line accommodating section, and hence prevents the occurrence of cell loss due to switching.

In addition, since each switch IF in the common switching fabric needs not have a selector, the hardware arrangement of the common switching fabric can be simplified as compared with the conventional schemes.

The above and many other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become manifest to those skilled in the art upon making reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments incorporating the principle of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative examples.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall arrangement of a conventional line redundant system to explain a conventional line redundant scheme for ATM switching matrixes and the system therefor;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the detailed arrangement of an ATM switching matrix 2 at the time of APS operation in the arrangement shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the detailed arrangement of an ATM switching matrix 3 at the time of APS operation in the arrangement shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the overall arrangement of a line redundant system to explain a line redundant scheme for ATM switching matrixes and the system therefor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the detailed arrangement of an ATM switching matrix 102 at the time of APS operation in the arrangement shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the detailed arrangement of an ATM switching matrix 103 at the time of APS operation in the arrangement shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of path setting on the transmission side of an APS line; and

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of path setting on the reception side of the APS line.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the overall arrangement of a system in a case wherein terminals 101 and 104 communicate with each other. Note that in the present invention, as in the prior art, a description about the detection of a trouble in the working route and the exchange of control information with opposite ports by using K1/K2 bytes after the detection, which are general techniques, will be omitted.

FIG. 5 shows the detailed arrangements a common switching fabric 113 a, 0-system line accommodating section 130 a-0, and 1-system line accommodating section 140 a-1 in APS operation in an ATM switching matrix 102 in FIG. 4. The ATM switching matrix 102 is constituted by the common switching fabric 113 a, the 0-system line accommodating section 130 a-0, the 1-system line accommodating section 140 a-1, and an OS 150 a for controlling the ATM switching matrix 102. Each line accommodating section accommodates a plurality of lines (N lines for each line IF in FIG. 5). The common switching fabric 113 a is comprised of switch IFs 117 a-1 to 117 a-neach of which accommodates one pair of 0-system line accommodating section 130 a-0 and 1-system line accommodating section 140 a-1, a switch core 116 a for analyzing the header information of a data signal and distributing the information to each line accommodating section, and a switch control section 180 a. Each switch IF accommodates a bridge 118 a which simultaneously distributes data from the switch core 116 a to the 0-system line accommodating section 130 a-0 to the 1-system line accommodating section 140 a-1. Note that the operation of the bridge 118 a is the same as that of the bridge 18 a in the prior art, and hence a description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 6 shows the detailed arrangements of a common switching fabric 113 b, 0-system line accommodating section 130 b-0, and 1-system line accommodating section 140 b-1 in APS operation in the ATM switching matrix 103 in FIG. 4. The arrangement of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 6 differs from that of the prior art shown in FIG. 3 in that a selector function is implemented, at the time of switching, for the data signals respectively input from the ATM switching matrix 102 and ATM switching matrix 2 to an ATM switching matrix 103 and ATM switching matrix 3 through a protection route 115 and protection route 15.

In the prior art shown in FIG. 3, the selector function is implemented on the common switching fabric 13 b side in the ATM switching matrix 3. In contrast, in the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 6, the selector function is implemented at input ports 135 b-1 to 135 b-N in the 0-system line accommodating section 130 b-0 and input ports 145 b-1 to 145 b-N in the 1-system line accommodating section 140 b-1.

For example, the following are the details of the selector function in a case wherein after a trouble occurs in a working route 114, the data signal received by the 0-system input port 135 b-1 through the working route 114 is cut off, and the data signal received by the 1-system input port 145 b-1 through the protection route 115 is switched to be output to the common switching fabric 113 b side.

The switching control function using K1/K2 bytes, an OS 150 b for controlling the ATM switching matrix 103, and a line control section for a 0-system line control section 131 b and 1-system line control section 141 b cooperate with each other to determine a specific one of the 0-system input port 135 b-1 and 1-system input port 145 b-1 from which a data signal should be output. When the occurrence of a trouble in the working route 114 is detected, the OS 150 b and the line control section cooperate with each other to generate control signals so as to cut off the data signal output from the input port 135 b-1 through the 0-system line control section 131 b and output a data signal from the input port 145 b-1 through the 1-system line control section 141 b.

That is, in the present invention, when the data signal bridged on the transmission side is input and a trouble occurs in the working route, line switching control is performed such that the data signal output from the 0-system input port of the pair of 0- and 1-system input ports is cut off, and the 1-system input port whose output has been cut off is allowed to output a data signal. In this manner, the selector function is implemented.

The above selector function can be implemented by, for example, SONET framers that are originally provided for the input ports 135 b-1 to 135 b-N and 145 b-1 to 145 b-N.

A SONET framer has a determination function of determining whether or not to output a data signal from the SONET framer as well as a function of assembling ATM cells into a SONET frame. The selector function can therefore be implemented by using the determination function.

Note that not only SONET framers but also many commercially available framers have the function of inhibiting an input data signal from being output to the common switching fabric side. Therefore, in units other than ATM switching matrixes incorporating SONET framers, the data signals input to various framers can be cut off (selected) for each port in a line accommodating section before the outputting of the signals to the common switching fabric side by using the same function of the framers in the ports.

The arrangement of the present invention eliminates the necessity of the selectors 19 b (see FIG. 3) respectively arranged in the switch IFs 17 b-1 to 17 b-non the common switching fabric 13 b, and can simplify the hardware arrangement of the common switching fabric 113 b as indicated by a switch IF 117 b-1 in FIG. 6. Note that the use of this function has no influence on the remaining ports accommodated in the same system.

As described above, when it is necessary to perform line switching from the input port 135 b-1 in the working route in the 0-system line accommodating section 130 b-0 to the input port 145 b-1 in the protection route in the 1-system line accommodating section 140 b-1, only the corresponding ports can be switched. That is, since the remaining input ports 135 b-2 (not shown) to 135 b-N during normal operation in the 0-system line accommodating section 130 b-0 in which the reception circuit port 135 b-1 is accommodated are not forcibly switched to the reception circuit ports 145 b-2 (not shown) to 145 b-N in the 1-system line accommodating section 140 b-1, cell loss does not easily occur in lines input to the input ports 135 b-2 (not shown) to 135 b-N during normal operation.

To allow data signals to pass through the ATM switching matrixes 102 and 103, path setting must be done in advance. This path setting is performed such that 0- and 1-system line accommodating sections are paired.

FIG. 7 shows an example of path setting on the transmission side of an APS line. As is obvious from FIG. 7, a path is established from a input port 155 a of a line accommodating section 112 a to a output port 134 a-1 of the 0-system line accommodating section 130 a-0. On the transmission side, a switch IF (not shown) in the common switching fabric 113 a bridges (distributes) a data signal from the 0-system side to output it to the 1-system line accommodating section 140 a-1 as well. Even if, therefore, the 0-system line accommodating section 130 a-0 is extracted, path setting for a switch core (not shown) in the common switching fabric 113 a is performed with respect to the 0-system line accommodating section 130 a-0. That is, in the 0-system line accommodating section 130 a-0, path setting is performed from the switch core to the output port 134 a-1. In addition, in the 1-system line accommodating section 140 a-1 to which the data signal from the 0-system side is bridged, path setting is also performed for a input port 144 a-1 from the switch core (not shown).

FIG. 8 shows an example of path setting on the reception side of an APS line. As is obvious from FIG. 8, a path is established from the input port 134 a-1 of the 0-system line accommodating section 130 a-0 to an output port 155 a of a line accommodating section 112 a. At the same time, a path is established from the input port 144 a-1 of the 1-system line accommodating section 140 a-a, which pairs up with the above port, to the output port 155 a of the line accommodating section 112 a.

As described above, path setting is always performed on both the transmission and reception sides of line accommodating section pairs. Note that when one of an APS line accommodating section pair is extracted, and the other is inserted, the OS that controls the ATM switching matrix performs path setting for the inserted line accommodating section again by using path setting for a line accommodating section that is not extracted.

In the above description, an ATM switching matrix is used as a switching matrix, and an ATM cell is used as a data signal. However, the switching matrix and data signal are not limited to those described above as long as they comply with the APS specifications. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a line redundant scheme in an IP over SONET system which directly transmits IP packets through a SONET network. 

1. A switching matrix comprising: a switching fabric; a first line accommodating section that includes a first input port configured to receive a first data signal that represents a working route for communications between two terminals and to selectively forward the first data signal to the switching fabric, and a first line control section configured to control the first input port using a first determination function of a first SONET framer, to forward the first data signal to the switching fabric when the first data signal is being received normally and to cut-off forwarding of the first data signal to the switching fabric when the first data signal is being received abnormally; and a second line accommodating section that includes a second input port configured to receive a second data signal that represents a backup route for communications between the two terminals and to selectively forward the second data signal to the switching fabric, and a second line control section configured to control the second input port using a second determination function of a second SONET framer, to forward the second data signal to the switching fabric when the first data signal is being received abnormally and to cut-off forwarding of the second data signal to the switching fabric when the first data signal is being received normally, where the second line control section is different from the first line control section.
 2. The switching matrix of claim 1, further comprising: an operating system configured to communicate with the first and second line accommodating sections to control operation of the first and second input ports.
 3. The switching matrix of claim 1, wherein the first SONET framer and the second SONET framer are configured to provide an interface between a physical layer of the data signal and an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) layer of the data signal.
 4. The switching matrix of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second line accommodating sections include a plurality of input ports.
 5. The switching matrix of claim 1, further including a plurality of groups of first and second line accommodating sections.
 6. The switching matrix of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of groups of first and second line accommodating sections receive pairs of redundant data signals that represent a working route and a backup route.
 7. The switching matrix of claim 1, wherein the switching fabric includes: N, where N is a number, switch interface sections; and a switch core having 2N interfaces.
 8. The switching matrix of claim 1, wherein the switching matrix processes Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) data.
 9. A method comprising: receiving a first data signal at a first input port of a network device, the first data signal representing a working route for communications between two terminals; receiving a second data signal at a second input port of the network device, the second data signal representing a backup route for communications between the two terminals; forwarding, using, in a first line control section, a first determination function of a first SONET framer, the first data signal in the network device via the first input port when the first data signal is being received normally and cutting-off forwarding, using the first determination function of the first SONET framer, of the first data signal in the network device at the first input port when the first data signal is being received abnormally; and forwarding, using, in a second line control section, a second determination function of a second SONET framer, the second data signal in the network device via the second input port when the first data signal is being received abnormally and cutting-off forwarding, using the second determination function of the second SONET framer, of the second data signal at the second input port in the network device when the first data signal is being received normally, where the second line control section is different from the first line control section.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the network device comprises a switching matrix.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the switching matrix processes Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) data.
 12. The method of claim 9, further comprising: controlling the forwarding at the first and second input ports based on a signal transmitted from an operating system of the network device.
 13. A device comprising: means for receiving a first data signal at a first input port of a network device, the first data signal representing a working route for communications between two terminals; means for receiving a second data signal at a second input port of the network device, the second data signal representing a backup route for communications between the two terminals; means for forwarding, using, in a first line control section, a first determination function of a first SONET framer, the first data signal in the network device via the first input port when the first data signal is being received normally and cutting-off forwarding, using the first determination function of the first SONET framer, of the first data signal in the network device at the first input port when the first data signal is being received abnormally; and means for forwarding, using, in a second line control section, a second determination function of a second SONET framer, the second data signal in the network device via the second input port when the first data signal is being received abnormally and cutting-off forwarding, using the second determination function of the second SONET framer, of the second data signal at the second input port in the network device when the first data signal is being received normally, where the second line control section is different from the first line control section. 